I’m so excited to announce that a project I’ve labored over for years is finally done! Several years ago, I got this idea to make a calendar for moms who are in love with children’s picture books and chapter books like I am. At the time, I had the following thoughts:

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I had a calendar that celebrated the birthdays of children’s book authors, like Beverly Cleary and Tomie de Paola?”

“Wouldn’t it be even more wonderful if the calendar had funny and meaningful quotes from these authors and other fun people?”

and

“Wouldn’t it be even more and more wonderful if this calendar also had suggestions of picture books to read to celebrate the birthdays of these authors of children’s books, as well as seasons and holidays?”

The more I thought about such a calendar the more I loved the idea! I knew it would be so fun for me to see authors’ birthdays and book suggestions to go with holidays on a calendar, so I decided to make the calendar myself.

After many tests, traps, trials, and tears, the calendar is finally done! Hoo-raaay!!!!!

I designed it to be an academic-year calendar, so that means it starts in September 2023 and ends in Augus 2024. I’m bummed that I didn’t get it done in time for the pages for September 2023 to be used for planning, but such is my crazy busy homeschooling mama life!

Oh well! You can still enjoy the illustration, quotes, and picture book suggestions. In addition to the features I just mentioned, this calendar also has the following:

-charming, vintage illustrations from Jessie Willcox Smith

-little-known “holidays” like “National Quilting Day” and “National Cousins’ Day”

-a “year-at-a-glance” with all the days of the academic 2023-2024 year on one page, in the front of the calendar

-a tracker in the front of the calendar where you can list the titles of books you hear about that you want to read

-a tracker in the back of the calendar to record the books you read aloud so you can look back and remind yourself and your children, “Wow, look at all these books we read!”

So, if you love reading aloud children’s books and celebrating American Christian-themed holidays, you will love this calendar! You can order it here, from the BYU Store, and have it shipped to your home, for $13.95 plus a shipping and handling fee. Currently the sale price is $13.95. That price will go up on Wednesday Nov. 15 to $17.95 so order it now! When you order it, you can also buy some books too. If your order totals $75 you don’t have to pay for shipping, with promo code 75SHIP (think Christmas!).

The BYU Store has been my favorite retail place since I was in fourth grade. It’s where I spent my babysitting money to buy all the Anne of Green Gable and Emily of New Moon books when I was in jr. high and high school, along with many other books. Then when I was a BYU student, I would reward myself for doing my homework with a visit at the store to browse all the books for 30 minutes or so. Then I would alternate that treat with a visit to the library, which is next to the Store. It’s definitely one of my happy places, so I am so pleased that my brainchild is now in the BYU Store, both the brick and mortar and online stores. I hope you enjoy it! Go get yours today here!

If you want even more picture book and chapter book suggestions for each month, season, and holiday, please check out my new website here. It’s all about celebrating life with children’s books and family traditions, categorized by the seasons and months.